| 15 weeks 6 hours 31 min ago Students clash with cops after celebrating end of finals
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(NECN/WTNH) - Hundreds of Wesleyan University students ended a night of partying on Fountain Ave. by getting into an early morning melee with police.
Officers, including state police, tried to get the students to go back home, but when the kids refused police say they were forced to use stun guns and pepper spray. Five students were arrested. Students say the bash turned into brutality.
"Somehow I got tased and then thrown into a cop car," said Derek Silverman.
Silverman, the Wesleyan student body treasurer is one of five students arrested after refusing police orders to clear the street. He showed News Channel 8 his wound from a police stun gun.
"I got tased, my chest started shocking, I fell to the floor," he said.
Middletown police say some in the crowd of 300 party goers threw beer bottles at cops.
"If they had done what they were told to do none of this would have happened," said Sgt. Scott Aresco, Middletown police department.
Paramedics were called for a student bit by a police dog. Several students were burned by pepper spray balls shot into the crowd by police. Some were burned on the forearm, others on the stomach and chest.
"If you look I was shot at here and then again over here," said Ian Trancynger, who was arrested and also hit by projectiles.
Several students called 9-1-1 claiming police brutality. The response?
"They said that the solution to our problems was that the police force was down
here," said Rashida Richardson, senior class president. "Then I said but it's your police force that was attacking us."
One student captured some of the chaos on his camera. Pictures show a cloud of pepper spray, plenty of police, and a student being handcuffed.
University President Michael Roth showed up early in the morning out of concern. "I Realize you are angry and this is a terrible situation, but I don't think you should try and do anything about it yourselves right now."
Arrested were:
Andrew Price, 23
Charges: Assault on a police officer, interfering with police officer, disorderly conduct, inciting a riot, marijuana possession less than four ounces.
Went to hospital with dog bite.
Status: Held on $10,000 bond
Andrew Dermont, 20
Charges: Assault on a police officer, inciting a riot, disorderly conduct, reckless endangerment, interfering with police.
Status: Held on $10,000 bond
Derek Silverman, 21
Charges: Inciting a riot, disorderly conduct, interfering with police.
Status: Released on $5,000 bond
Ian Trancynger, 21
Charges: Inciting a riot, disorderly conduct, criminal mischief.
Status: Released on $5,000 bond
Christopher Foley, 19
Charges: Inciting a riot, disorderly conduct.
Status: Released on $5,000 bond
Both Price and Dermont are expected to go before a judge today. The others are scheduled to go to court later this month.
President Roth told students they could come down to his office today and talk about their concerns. He now has to try and ease tensions between students and police.
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